A fairly substantial "V" pronged weed tool/fork and pliers work well for me, though usually catch them much smaller because they volunteer mostly in open bed spaces and pavement cracks here. We do have to resort to herbicide on the hackberries that grow among the shrubs where they get much better established before we find them.

I pull them using a pair of pliers. Much easier on my hands/fingers.

Works well on other "unwanteds" too.

I wait for an "after rainy day" and start pulling by hand. If not possible, I have a small shovel. If not possible, I mark it with colored tape and next time I have help, I cut it as short as possible and dab brush killer poison on the cut, while the other person holds nearby growth out of the way so I don't accidentally kill it while trying to kill unwanted. Some years are worse than others and in Spring 2015 I'm waging a brutal war against elms, oaks, etc.